Venice, Italy

According to tradition, Venice was...founded in 421 AD on April 25th, St. Mark’s Day (St. Mark is now the patron saint of Venice) when to escape the Barbarian invasions, refugees from the Veneto took shelter in the Lagoon. At that time the most important village in the lagoon was Torcello, where a cathedral was built in 639.

The Doges
In Venice government by the Doges was first formally established by Paolo Lucio Anafesto in 697, but the construction of Palazzo Ducale (Doges’ Palace) in what is today St. Mark’s Square did not begin until the year 814. The Basilica of St. Mark’s was built in 834, but this first basilica was burnt down.

Venice expands
Mainly thanks to the energy of its mercantile inhabitants, Venice became an important trading centre for shipping in the Mediterranean and the East. In 1000 its fleet defeated the pirates of the Adriatic sea, greatly facilitating trade. TheCrusades constituted a business opportunity for the Venetians and they extended their rule over the Aegean islands, Peleponesia, Crete and part of Constantinople. Much wealth and many works of art were taken to Venice as booty, especially from Constantinople, such as the four bronze horses of St. Mark’s (the original bronzes can now be seen in St. Mark’s museum, whilst the four horses on the Basilica’s facade are copies).
Marco Polo
The journey of the Venetian merchant Marco Polo from Venice to China is one of the most fascinating true stories of Middle Ages (1271-95). His adventures and his meeting with Genghis Khan are recounted in the book ‘Il Milione’.

La Serenissima: Venice reaches its zenith
In 1348, Venice’s population was halved by the plague, but in spite of this, it increased its territories on the Venetian mainland, occupying Treviso, Padua, Vicenza and later Verona, Feltre, Belluno and Bassano (1404-1405), until in 1454 its boundaries stretched as far as the Adda river to the west, and into Friuli to the east.Venice soon became the most powerful of the Mediterranean’s four sea-powers (the other ones were the republics of Amalfi, Genoa and La Spezia) and in 1489 it conquered the island of Cyprus.
Decline and Fall

However, the fall of Constantinople to the Turks and the discovery of America marked the beginning of commercial and political decline for la Repubblica Serenissima di Venezia. After a long period of gradual decay Venice was eventually defeated by Napoleon in 1797, who by the Treaty of Campoformio gave it to Austria (Hapsburgs).
A part of Italy

After the Napoleonic period (1805-14) and the Risorgimento (a failed 1848 uprising against the Austrians) the army of Giuseppe Garibaldi began the unification of Italy in 1860 , and in 1866 Venice became part of the new nation after the 3rd War of Independence.

What to see
Venice is elegant, precious, inimitable, entertaining, and romantic. It is a jewel in the Italian touristic landscape, where churches, buildings, old bridges, monuments and piazzas are the evidence of the artistic and cultural vivacity that marks the history of this city.

The heart of Venice is the wonderful Piazza San Marco - the most elegant in Europe - surrounded by outstanding buildings: the impressive bell tower and the Cathedral - with its five portals of marble and mosaic decorations (foreshadowing the luxury of the interiors); the Ducal Palace, a symbol of the golden age of the Serenissima; Torre dei Mori (the clock tower), the engineering masterpiece that has been telling Venice the time for centuries; and the Napoleonic Wing, site of the Correr Museum.
Not far away is Campo Santo Stefano, with the church of the same name (i.e. St. Stephen's), one of Venice's biggest.

Also from the piazza, the visitor can see the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore and the high bell tower that rises from the monumental structure of the old Benedictine monastery, a masterpiece realized by important architects of the time, including the renowned Andrea Palladio.
Venice is the best of outdoor museums, and it can be toured by boat or by gondola, most teasily along the Canal Grande, the main Venetian thoroughfare. The Canal begins at Punta della Dogana, the old harbor of the Most Serene Republic, with its peculiar triangular shape that is now, like Palazzo Grassi, a Contemporary Arts Center.
The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is another must-see, exhibited in the PalazzoVenier de’ Leoni; it is considered the most important collection of the 20th Century. Among other important museums are the Gallerie dell’Accademia, housed in the majestic structure of the Scuola Grande de la Carità (inside is a church of the same name and a monastery); and Ca’ Rezzonico, one of the most beautiful buildings from the Renaissance and home to the Museum of 18th-Century Venice.

On the right bank of the Grand Canal - also accessible by crossing the Ponte del Rialto - it is possible to reach the districts of San Polo, Santa Croce and Dorsoduro, where some of the most famous campi of Venice are surrounded by wonderful religious buildings and palaces: San Rocco, with one of the old Grandi Scuole di Venezia and the church dedicated to the Saint; the renowned Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, one of the most important Franciscan structures; San Polo; San Giacomo dall’Orio with the church of the same name at its center and decorated with wonderful Venetian Renaissance artworks; San Sebastiano masterfully decorated by Paolo Veronese; San Pantalon; San Nicolò dei Mendicoli with one of the city's oldest churches; and Santa Maria della Salute.

From Piazza San Marco, crossing the renowned Bridge of Sighs - with a wonderful view of the lagoon - is the Castello district, rich in architectural and artistic masterpieces. The campi of Venice are historic piazzas, usually embellished with remarkable monuments in the middle, and dominated by impressive religious buildings whence they take their names. This sestiere (district) also hosts plenty of interesting churches: the Chiesa dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo (Church of St. John and St. Paul), where state funerals were once held; the Church Santa Maria dei Miracoli, a fabulous example of Renaissance architecture; the Church of San Zaccaria in the homonyous piazza; the Church of San Giovanni in Bragora - considered one of the most beautiful churches in Venice - and the Church of Santa Maria Formosa, based on a design by Codussi.

Two further places that are well-worth a visit along the same route include the biggest Arsenal in the world, built in the 12th Century and later expanded, thanks to Venice's significant political and economic development; and the Scuola San Giorgio degli Schiavoni, home to some of the most beautiful paintings by Carpaccio. In Cannareggio, Campo della Madonna dell’Orto is one of the last surviving examples of ancient herringbone paving, and its Church of the same name was decorated by the famous Tintoretto. The Scuola dei Mercanti can also be found here. The Church of San Giovanni Crisostomo, Codussi’s last opus, is another magnificent example of Renaissance architecture. Finally, in the old Ca’ d’Oro building lies a precious art collection of pieces from the Venetian School.

You might already know that Venice is surrounded by a group of islands: Burano, renowned for its lace production; Murano, for its glassmaking; Pellestrina, characterized by sandy dunes and cane thickets; and Torcello, one of the oldest human settlements in the area.
On the northern side of the Lagoon are wonderful natural landscapes, with beaches that change color depending on the sunlight, just like the Dolomites that have nourished, over the centuries, this beautiful coastline.

Time permitting, tourists should also stop at a few of the Venice Province's other gems: Caorle, with its narrows alleys passing between pretty, colored houses; Jesolo, core of amusement and nightlife; Bibione, with its pinewoods that run right down to the beach; and Cavallino, the main European “open-air” tourist destination.
And along the banks of the Brenta, many sumptuous aristocratic Venetian villas were built between 1500 and 1700; period symbols of Venetian wealth and prosperity, they are the designs of some of the best architects and painters of the day.

It is possible to find the same splendor in the environs of Mirano, in the Terre del Tiepolo (Lands of Tiepolo), named in honor of one of the most famous artistic families. Without a doubt, this area witnessed a period of great cultural development during the Most Serene Republic's domination, the signs of which it is still possible to admire, intact, and in all their magnificence.